Powershell: String is added more than once to another string -

in script builds blob of text, there point block of "summary" text can prepended said blob.

although script generates summary text once, gets prepended text blob multiple times.

this powershell script:

# # test_textappend.ps1 #  $reportmessage = "body of report able ere saw elba";   # build "report" text  $fruitlist = [system.collections.arraylist]@(); $vegetablelist = [system.collections.arraylist]@();  [void]$fruitlist.add("apple");  # generate "summary" includes contents of both lists function generatesummary() {     [system.text.stringbuilder]$sumtext = new-object ("system.text.stringbuilder")     $namearray = $null;     [string]$namelist = $null;      if ($fruitlist.count -gt 0)     {         $namearray = $fruitlist.toarray([system.string]);         $namelist = [string]::join(", ", $namearray);         $sumtext.appendformat("the following fruits found: {0}`n",             $namelist);     }      if ($vegetablelist.count -gt 0)     {         $namearray = $vegetablelist.toarray([system.string]);         $namelist = [string]::join(", ", $namearray);         $sumtext.appendformat("the following vegetables found: {0}`n",             $namelist);     }      if ($sumtext.length -gt 0)     {         $sumtext.append("`n");     }      return ($sumtext.tostring()); }  [string]$summary = (generatesummary);  if (![string]::isnullorempty($summary))    # if there "summary" text, prepend {     $reportmessage = $summary + $reportmessage; }  write-output $reportmessage 

and result when run:

the following fruits found: apple   following fruits found: apple   following fruits found: apple  body of report able ere saw elba 

i used code block instead of blockquote because fixed-width font shows leading spaces.

the question: why summary text repeated 3 times instead of once?

read about_return:

long description

the return keyword exits function, script, or script block. can used exit scope @ specific point, return value, or indicate end of scope has been reached.

users familiar languages c or c# might want use return keyword make logic of leaving scope explicit.

in windows powershell, the results of each statement returned output, without statement contains return keyword. languages c or c# return value or values specified return keyword.

results next 3 statements constitute output function:

    $sumtext.appendformat("the following fruits found: {0}`n", $namelist);       $sumtext.append("`n");  return ($sumtext.tostring()); 

(and next statement if $vegetablelist.count -gt 0):

$sumtext.appendformat("the following vegetables found: {0}`n", $namelist);